The Legend of Zelda: The Curse of Hyrule
by Master Nenva
Summary: Zelda and Link are married and have two children when they find out about the curse of Hyrule. All of the firstborn from Link's side of the family will fight a reincarnation of Demise and become Hero's of Hyrule. But what if Link and Zelda want to protect their children from their destiny? And will their son forgive them once he learns he was abandoned with only a wolf to his name?
1. Chapter 1

I don't own any of the characters from The Legend of Zelda games. That means Link, Midna, Zelda, Ganandorf, Zant, Colin, Ilia, Milo, Prince Ruto, or Epona. I did invent all of the people from Kinkaro Village, but to make things less complicated I'm not going to claim ownership to them either. I don't own any of the locations. This story takes place after The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The way I strung the games together is in no way official. It's just my the timeline I decided from my experience playing the games. **SPOILER ALERT: This story contains content from Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, and Wind Waker.**

It was quiet on top of the tall tower that was the Arbiter's Grounds. A large black stone covered with chains was embedded in the sand that reached up even here, at the top of the great temple, from the shifting desert below. The sky was cloudless, as it often was in the Gerudo Desert. The ever-blowing wind did offer some relief from the intense heat though.

A young man dressed in the green garb of the hero of Hyrule stood on a stone pedestal. On his back he had a metal shield with the Hylian family crest on it, and a sword was sheathed under that. He laid a hand on an empty stand, which once held the Mirror of Twilight. His eyes were sad as he wiped off a few grains of sand.

"I thought I would find you here." A soft voice said. The man didn't look up. A young woman came into view, dressed in the formal gown typical of the Hyrulian Princess. A golden circlet sat on her head; the beauty magnified by her silky brown hair and pointed ears. She walked closer, until she was standing beside the man. She looked at the looming great stone.

"Princess Zelda." The man said, in way of greeting.

"You don't have to call me that. We are married after all." They stood together in silence.

"I just can't believe… I can't believe she's gone." Link finally said. Princess Zelda placed a hand on his shoulder. On her hand was the mark of the triforce of wisdom. Link possessed a similar mark, the triforce of courage.

"We have lost a good friend, but the twili have regained a marvelous leader." They were silent, then Zelda opened her mouth to speak. But at that moment the sky darkened. Link unsheathed his sword and shield, eyes scanning everything around them. Then, on pillars which ringed the roof, white sages materialized. Link sheathed his sword, and then looked around at the spirits. One lifted its arms and spoke.

"You have done well Link, hero of Hyrule." The sage said. Link nodded slightly.

"You have vanquished the evil that has plagued Hyrule for years, the one we could not kill, for he held the triforce of power. But I am afraid that your duty is not over yet." The sage continued.

"What do you mean? Link has done his part. Ganandorf is dead for good." Zelda protested.

"Unfortunately, the evil that was housed in Ganandorf does not end there. He is one of many in a long line of Gerudos. And he will not be the last. One decade after the last evildoer dies; a new one is born to take his place. And just as the cycle is never ending for them, so it is never ending for the hero."

"What? But… I'm a nobody. A simple ranch hand from Ordon Village. I don't even know my family!" Link said. But the sage was shaking his head.

"You aren't a nobody Link. You come from a long line of heroes who have saved Hyrule countless times. You have a family. Have you ever wondered why the people of your village have rounded ears, while yours are pointed? It is the same with Ganandorf, and Princess Zelda." Link's hand unconsciously touched the tips of his ears. It was true. All of the humans of this land had rounded ears besides Link, Princess Zelda, and Ganandorf.

"It is one of the effects of the spell put on Hyrule." The sage said.

"What spell? It isn't in any of the history books." Zelda asked.

"It is an ancient one, dating back to when our land was first created, and beings much stranger than you or I roamed this land. A land where one of the goddesses still lived among humans. Monsters and demons rose from the earth, led by one in particular named Demise. He went to war against the inhabitants of this land, and the goddess sent the humans up above the clouds on a piece of land she called Skyloft. She eventually defeated the demons, imprisoning them. But he grew more powerful and threatened to rise again. She joined her soul with a young girl named Zelda, who was protected by a woman as she purified her soul. A young man training at the knight academy chased after her when she fell from Skyloft, down to the unknown world below. He fought monsters and strengthened himself until he was finally powerful enough to save Zelda. But she had locked herself away in amber to preserve the seal which held Demise. He retrieved the triforce and used it to destroy Demise, but Demise's servant resurrected him in the past. The man was forced to do battle, finally destroying the demon. But as he died, the demon laid a curse upon the land. His shadow would forever haunt the young man and Zelda. Then he was gone, and Skyloft was rejoined with the rest of Hyrule."

"What happened to the young man and Zelda?" Princess Zelda asked with interest.

"The curse went into effect. The man's firstborn was born, a boy, and then the man died. Around the same time, an ancestor of Ganandorf's rose to power. The woman was badly injured and fled, leaving her son in a forest of Kokiri. Then she died. Her son grew up while the Kokiri stayed the same age, and he was finally called upon to save Hyrule when he was very young. He traveled back and forth in time, trying to prevent the disaster that was Ganandorf. The Princess Zelda, a descendent of the original Zelda, has hidden from Ganandorf. Link defeated that Ganandorf and then left the known lands of Hyrule, never to be seen again. Ganandorf rose to power once again while the young man was gone, flooding the land until all that was left were small islands. Another Link rose up from a small island and defeated this new Ganandorf, while rescuing his sister and Tetra, heir to the throne. The land gradually dried and grew, and the islands were rejoined. Then Ganandorf rose again, and we tried to kill him. Unfortunately, he had been given the triforce of power. Instead, we sent him to the Twilight Realm. And you know what happened from there."

"Amazing. The histories in the castle don't go farther than when the islands rejoined to form Hyrule." Princess Zelda said.

"So I have a family?" Link asked. The sage nodded.

"Where are they? Who are they?" He asked excitedly.

"That, we don't know. We can only assume that they sent you away for your own safety, hoping that the curse would leave you alone. But unfortunately, until the end of time, it will always affect the firstborn of your line." Link's eyes widened, and he glanced at Zelda. Her eyes were frightened, and she mouthed a single word.

Throm.

"How long until the curse affects the firstborn?" Link demanded. The sage shrugged.

"It's difficult to tell. Usually when they come of age."

"We have time then." Link said to Zelda.

"You have a firstborn?" The sage asked.

"Yes. Throm. And Tanti, out little girl." Zelda said.

"From both of you?"

"Yes."

"I wish you both luck. Be prepared, for Throm will have many hardships. But you must let him fight his own fight, or you will die."

"Fat chance." Link muttered. Then He and Zelda were gone, riding back to the castle as fast as they could.


	2. Chapter 2

A young man relaxed in the afternoon sun. He had sandy blonde hair, and he wore simple homespun blue clothes, which looked like small silver scales had been added to them. A large wolf rested at his side, enjoying the sun's warmth. They were resting on blue paving stones, and a river of clear water rushed by nearby and ended in a fabulous cascading waterfall which descended hundreds of feet. At the other end of the river, a small but exceptionally deep pool sat before a large throne.

"Are you just going to lounge around all day?" A voice asked playfully. The young man opened one eye. Before him stood a boy roughly his same age, except he was covered in small silver scales which gave his skin a blueish tinge. His arms had large yellow fins protruding from them, and he looked as if he was wearing a large hat. In reality, it was more of a fish tail. His feet were long and webbed, which made it easier for him to swim through the water quickly.

"Of course not Wenglock. But what good is the sun if you don't enjoy it?" The man asked. Wenglock shrugged.

"That may be your philosophy Throm, but I would rather be out and about. Swimming, fishing, diving…" Wenglock listed.

"I like all that stuff too, but sometimes you just need to relax and enjoy life," Throm said. The wolf stood up and stretched with a toothy yawn, revealing a row of sharp teeth. He flicked his ears, which had been pierced and now held blue earrings.

"Want to have a race?" Wenglock asked.

"Where to?" Throm asked.

"How about to the fishing hole?" Wenglock suggested. Throm nodded. The two boys stepped into the river, facing the waterfall.

"3… 2… 1… GO!" Wenglock shouted. They dove into the water and Wenglock quickly propelled himself through the water and rocketed ahead, leaving behind a trail of bubbles. Moments later, he flew over the edge of the waterfall and plummeted to the large pool down below. Throm followed behind, and shot over the edge of the waterfall moments later. The wolf they had left behind watched the boys race away, and shook his head in a very human way with an indignant look on his face. Then he padded away, in the opposite direction.

Throm and Wenglock were neck and neck by the time they reached the front door of the fishing hole. Wenglock and Throm both climbed onto the bank and laughed.

"You're certainly getting faster!" Wenglock said.

"Either that or you're getting slower!" Throm teased.

"Excuse me," A soft voice said. Throm and Wenglock both sat up to look at the speaker. Before them stood a nervous looking girl dressed with a lavender dress and with long black hair. She had clear blue eyes, and very pale skin. She looked slightly younger than Throm.

"Are you a Zora?" She asked Wenglock. Wenglock stood up and made a fake bow.

"Wenglock the Zora at your service," He said. The girl smiled with relief.

"Oh good. I've been lost for days. Hyrule is just such a big place! Who knew? Can you take me to Zora's Domain?" She asked. Wenglock and Throm glanced at each other.

"Sure, I guess. I don't see why not…" Wenglock said.

"Follow us," Throm said. Deciding it was better not to make their guest swim up the river, Wenglock and Throm led the way through a newly installed tunnel that led to Zora's Domain. The girl followed quietly.

"What business do you have with the zoras?" Throm asked.

"I'm a representative sent by Queen Zelda. I have a message for King Ralis," the girl said.

"I suppose you could always just tell me," Wenglock said.

"Tell you?" The girl repeated.

"I'm Prince Wenglock of the zoras. My father is King Ralis, my mother is Queen Ruto," Wenglock explained.

"Oh! Why didn't you tell me before?" The girl asked in surprise.

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, this is my best friend Throm. What's your name?"

"I'm Rose," the girl said. Wenglock glanced at her dress and the flower designs.

"No kidding," he said.

"So you've been to Hyrule Castle?" Throm asked enviously. He had always wanted to leave Zora's Domain, but he was never allowed too. He didn't have any parents who stopped him from leaving, so that wasn't the problem. King Ralis and Queen Ruto had always acted like Throm's adopted parents. They never let him travel farther from Zora's Domain that the fishing hole. The tunnel leading to the mountain was absolutely off-limits. Throm had tried sneaking away from Zora's Domain several times, but each time he was either caught by a zora or his wolf would do something to keep him from leaving. Throm hadn't given up on leaving, but he had decided that he needed to wait for the perfect moment.

"Of course. I'm Queen Zelda's handmaiden. I'm the ambassador between all of the races. The gorons, the humans, the zoras, the yeti, everyone. I also spend an awful lot of time with Princess Tanti," Rose explained. Wenglock snickered.

"What's so funny?" Rose asked.

"That's an interesting way to say that you're on nanny duty for the disabled princess," Wenglock said. Unlike Throm, Wenglock was allowed to leave Zora's Domain whenever he pleased. Whenever he returned from his adventures, he would tell Throm all about the world. His favorite topic whenever he returned from castle town was how Princess Tanti was always shut up in the castle. As far as Wenglock and Throm knew, she had never set foot out of the castle.

"She's not disabled! Queen Zelda doesn't want her to get hurt, that's all," Rose said angrily.

"Sure," Wenglock said with another snicker. Throm could tell that Rose was starting to get upset, so he changed the subject.

"You're Queen Zelda's handmaiden and personal ambassador? You look awfully young for that kind of responsibility. You're only what, eighteen? Nineteen?" Throm asked.

"Twenty-one," Rose corrected.

"You look much younger than that," Throm said. Rose blushed.

"Sorry I'm late Rose! I got lost!" A voice suddenly said. Wenglock and Throm looked around. A small glowing purple orb zoomed towards the trio until it started hovering in circles around Rose's head. Throm watched with undivided interest. He had never seen a creature like this before. Rose held out her hands, and the glowing orb landed on them. Throm realized that it had small, tissue-paper wings.

"Is that a real live actual fairy? I didn't think that they existed anymore!" Wenglock said in surprise. The fairy launched into the air and started bouncing up and down on Wenglock's head.

"Of course I exist! I came here from Kinkaro Village. There are loads of fairies there," the fairy said.

"Kinkaro Village? Never heard of it," Wenglock said.

"It's a well-kept secret. No outsiders have ever been there. I came here on a mission," the fairy explained.

"This is Pala. She's been with me as long as I can remember," Rose said.

"I'm Wenglock," Wenglock said.

"I'm Throm," Throm added. Pala gasped. She zoomed over to Throm, stopping to hover in front of his face. She flew up above his head and began circling him.

"This is him! This is the one I was sent to find!" Pala exclaimed.

"Are you sure?" Rose asked.

"Definetly! I can sense it! But I always assumed he would be older . . ." Pala said.

"What is she talking about?" Throm asked.

"Later. We'll talk later. Right now we have more pressing business," Rose said. At that moment they reached Zora's Domain and the throne room, where King Ralis and Queen Ruto were. And that was the end of the conversation between Throm and Rose.


	3. Chapter 3

"King Ralis. Queen Ruto. I am Rose, handmaiden of Queen Zelda at your service," Rose said while bowing to the royal zoras. King Ralis nodded back, while Queen Ruto smiled. Throm realized that they were not alone. His wolf was sitting beside them. When Throm's wolf saw him, he trotted over and licked his hand.

"I bring a message from Queen Zelda," Rose added. Pala came to hover in front of the wolf's face, and it growled and snapped at her wings. She retreated to a safe distance.

"What tidings does the Queen send?" King Ralis asked.

"A new danger has arisen. Queen Zelda mentioned a reincarnation," Rose began to explain. Before she could go any farther, Throm's wolf let out a sharp bark. King Ralis glanced at him, and then at Throm and Wenglock.

"Perhaps this message is not for young ears. Why don't the two of you run along? We will find you when the meeting is finished," he said. Throm hesitated, but he knew it was pointless to argue with the king of the zoras. He followed Wenglock out of the throne room and down to the walkways which surrounded Zora's Domain. He didn't bother calling his wolf to follow. The wolf did as it pleased. Sometimes, it was as if the wolf owned Throm instead of the other way around. Throm sat with his legs hanging over the edge of the path and gazed wistfully at the throne room. Zoras swam and slashed in the water far below, totally oblivious to the visitor and her message.

"It seems like Hyrule is always in danger from one villain or another," Wenglock said offhandedly while sitting beside Throm.

"I guess," Throm said reluctantly.

"I wonder what Rose meant by a reincarnation. Maybe an old villain found a way to come haunt Hyrule as a ghost," Wenglock continued.

"But what villain would be dangerous enough for Queen Zelda to want to warn the zoras? I guess it could be a zora ghost," Throm asked thoughtfully.

"The only villain I can think of that threw Hyrule into chaos was Ganondorf," Wenglock said. As soon as he said that, Wenglock looked like he regretted it. Throm shivered. This was the first time he had ever heard that name, but strangely enough it felt familiar. Almost as if Throm had heard it in a past life. But of course that was a silly idea.

"Who was he?" Throm asked. Wenglock looked uncomfortable.

"Forget I said anything," he muttered.

"If he was the most powerful villain Hyrule has ever seen, then why haven't I heard of him? Wouldn't the rest of the zoras talk about him sometimes?" Throm pressed. Wenglock closed his eyes.

"Please stop asking. I'm not supposed to say anything. Dad will kill me when he finds out," he begged.

"What are you hiding?" Throm asked in a questioning voice. Wenglock climbed to his feet and took a few steps back. Without another word, he ran forward and leapt off of the walkway. The water was at least four stories below them, but he dove into the water with hardly a splash. Throm grumbled as he stood up. He wouldn't be able to mimic a similar dive. Only a zora could jump from that height and survive. Wenglock had effectively ended the conversation.

Throm waited impatiently on the walkway until the meeting between the King and Queen of the zoras and Rose came to an end. He had no other choice. He couldn't leave Zora's Domain, and tracking down Wenglock would do no good. He wouldn't answer Throm's questions, no matter how much Throm pestered him.

"Hey! You!" a voice exclaimed. Throm looked up. Pala was hovering in front of him. She flew forward and landed on Throm's head. Throm tried not to move his head so that Pala wouldn't fall off.

"Hey Pala," Throm said. After a moment, Pala flew off of his head and hovered in front of him again with a sigh.

"So close, yet so far," she said in a tired voice.

"What are you talking about?" Throm asked. Pala didn't say anything for a moment. Throm closed his eyes. He didn't entirely expect her to explain herself. It seemed like everyone had secrets these days.

"The one I was sent to find, his aura lingers about you. But you are not the one I'm looking for. I'm sorry if I caused any trouble. What was your name again?" Pala asked.

"Throm. Who was the one you were sent to find?" Throm asked.

"I was sent from a place called Kinkaro Village. Everyone who lives there is related, though most of them are very distantly related. A child, no more than a baby really, was sent away from the village for their own safety. Their parents believe that it is safe for them to return now, so I was sent to find them. It's a very special job. I'm a direct descendant from Navi herself you know. She was the guardian fairy for Link of the Kokiri. Of course, he wasn't really a Kokiri. Anyway, I'm getting off topic. The aura is fairly strong, so that means that the one I seek was around you recently. What other humans have you been around in the last day?" Pala asked.

"I've never actually talked to another human before Rose. I know that I'm a human, and I've seen other humans when they've come to visit Zora's Domain, but I've never actually talked to them. Certainly not in the last day," Throm said.

"Well, the one I seek has been near you recently. So I'm not giving up. You met them before, and they're bound to turn up again. So I'm staying with you," Pala said while bouncing through the air.

"But . . . I thought you followed Rose everywhere!" Throm said in surprise.

"Of course I do! There's something special about her. But I won't be leaving your side either. You're coming with us to warn the yeti and the gorons, and then you're coming back with us to Hyrule Castle," Pala said. Throm burst out laughing.

"What?" Pala asked in an offended tone.

"I'm not allowed to leave Zora's Domain. The King and Queen would never allow it. How do you expect to get them to change their mind?" Throm asked.

"You'll see. Rose can be very persuasive. Come with me," Pala said, flying down the walkway and towards the throne room. Throm followed curiously. He had no idea how Pala and Rose intended to get him out of Zora's Domain, but he certainly wasn't going to try and stop them. He desperately wanted a change of scenery, and he was willing to do anything to get it.


	4. Chapter 4

When Pala and Throm arrived at the throne room Rose, King Ralis, and Queen Ruto were deep in discussion. Throm's wolf was there, and to Throm's annoyance Wenglock was as well.

"Queen Zelda was certain that Zora's Domain would be their first target. The inscription on the stone was very clear," Rose protested. She cleared her throat. "'To bring a life from the realm of shadows to the world of the living, five things must be brought together in the sacred order. The fanciful zora, the cold yeti, the fierce goron, and the humble human must be gathered. A royal vessel of immense purity must be obtained. At the location of the death, the incantation must begin at the height of the full moon. The source of the death must be reversed, and the spirits of the four races must willingly give their lives in exchange for the one. The royal vessel will act as a beacon between worlds, and the lost spirit will return to the body, mortal once more.' There's a long list of exceptions after that, like what to do for each type of death and what to do if the person was murdered and the murderer is dead. But the tablet was very specific."

"And why should we be worried? What zora would willingly give their life for an evil cause?" King Ralis asked. No one had noticed Pala or Throm yet.

"One of you three. Oztaz will want only royal souls to be exchanged for his master. And he's cunning. He'll find a way to make them give their life willingly," Rose said.

"We'll be careful," Queen Ruto promised.

"I bet this Oztaz isn't even a true sorcerer," Wenglock said. Suddenly, harsh laughter filled the air. Pala zipped over to Rose's side and hid behind her shoulder, while Throm and the other zoras glanced around. A cloud of black smoke appeared above the water. It condensed into a human shape, and a man appeared standing on the water. He wore a blood red cloak and had pale gray skin and inky black hair. His hazel eyes burned, and several gold rings glittered on his fingers.

"I assure you young zora, that I am a true sorcerer. I fully intend to resurrect my master, Lord Ganondorf. And you will aid me in my quest," Oztaz said with a smirk.

"You wish," Wenglock growled. Oztaz laughed again. Pala flew in front of Rose.

"You're outnumbered sorcerer! And we have a sorcerer of our own!" Pala declared. Oztaz laughed a third time. Throm wondered what Pala was talking about. Maybe she meant that Rose was a sorcerer. But she didn't strike Throm as the magical type.

"It is true that you have a sorcerer with you. Magic knows magic. But her powers are not nearly strong enough to defeat me," Oztaz said. He made a motion with his hand, and Wenglock stiffened. Rose stepped forward and raised a hand with her palm outward. Wenglock relaxed. Oztaz looked slightly perplexed.

"Very nice . . . you are certainly more powerful than I first realized. But not powerful enough to stop me," he said. He waved his hand in a circular motion, and Throm felt a wave of irrational fear wash over him. He couldn't move. He could tell that everyone else was gripped with the same fear. Rose took another shaky step forward with her palm still held outward, and Throm felt the fear release him. Oztaz frowned.

"Impressive. Perhaps I misjudged you. I have not seen a sorcerer with powers such as yours for many years. But I'm afraid I don't have time to explore the depth of your powers. I must resurrect my master on the night of the full moon," Oztaz said firmly. He held out his hand like a claw, and Rose was blasted backwards. She flew through the air and crashed into a wall, where she slumped to the ground. Pala shot over to her side where she began anxiously fluttering around Rose's head. Oztaz pulled a bottle out of his cloak and pointed at Wenglock, who stiffened again. Wenglock transformed, becoming slightly transparent. He looked as if he was made of powder or dust. Oztaz curled a finger, and Wenglock zoomed into the bottle.

"It was a pleasure meeting you all, but now I must be going. Thank you for lending me your prince," Oztaz said while putting the bottle back into his cloak. With those final words, he transformed back into black smoke and vanished. Throm's wolf growled loudly. Throm ran to Rose's side. She was groaning and opening her eyes.

"Rose! I'm so happy you're ok!" Pala exclaimed happily.

"That . . . hurt," Rose complained while holding her side. She slowly stood up.

"We've got to warn the yeti," Pala said.

"I agree. Let's go," Rose said.

"We're taking Throm with us," Pala mentioned.

"What? Why?" Rose asked in surprise.

"Throm can't leave Zora's Domain with you," King Ralis said.

"Why not?" Throm complained.

"It's not safe for you out there," King Ralis said.

"He'll be safer traveling with us than staying here," Pala pointed out.

"No, he won't. He must stay here," King Ralis said. Throm's wolf barked loudly.

"You can't keep me here any longer," Throm said stubbornly.

"I can and I will!" King Ralis declared.

"I don't care what you say. You aren't my father, and you aren't my king," Throm growled.

"I made an oath. An oath that you would stay here, at Zora's Domain, under my protection. I swore to keep you from the dangers of the world. And I intend to fulfill that oath," King Ralis said in a dangerous voice. Throm glared at him. After a moment, Throm's wolf stood and walked over until he was standing beside Throm.

"Are you sure?" King Ralis asked. Throm nodded, and his wolf barked.

"Fine. Throm, you and your wolf will accompany Rose on her travels. I hope that you know what you're doing," King Ralis said in a resigned voice. Throm turned and followed Rose and Pala out of the throne room and down to the main pool with his wolf right beside him. When they reached the pool, the group walked along the perimeter until they reached a tunnel in the wall. An icy wind gusted out of it, and Throm could see icicles hanging from the ceiling. He shivered. This was the tunnel that led to the mountains where the yeti lived. He had never actually been in the tunnel. He hesitated a moment as Pala and Rose forged ahead. If he continued, his life would change forever. Did he dare do it? But staying meant never getting the chance to leave Zora's Domain.

Taking a deep breath, Throm entered the tunnel with his wolf at his side.


	5. Chapter 5

As soon as Throm emerged from the tunnel, he was blasted by an icy wind. He shivered. His old tunic wasn't nearly warm enough now. The snow was ankle deep here, and a short distance away was a frozen lake. Throm had never seen snow or ice before now. It was always warm in Zora's Domain, like an eternal summer. Now suddenly he was surrounded by it.

"Let's go. The yeti's mansion is higher up the mountain. It's a short enough hike," Rose said. She led the way along a small path to the lake. When they reached it, she began hiking across the ice. Throm followed more hesitantly. The ice was thick enough to stand on, but it was still slippery enough to be treacherous. Luckily, the lake wasn't very wide. Throm's wolf on the other hand seemed right at home in the cold and snow.

Towards the far side of the lake, Rose slipped and fell to her hands and knees. Throm helped her stand again.

"Are you ok?" he asked worriedly. Rose grimaced and clutched her side.

"I'll live," she growled. With Throm on one side, his wolf on the other, and Pala leading the way, Rose forged ahead. When they reached the far side of the lake, the snow grew much deeper. A cold wind began to gust, and the sky darkened as clouds blocked out the sun. After a few minutes, snow began to fall. The higher the group climbed, the harder the snow fell. After an hour of hard trekking, it became almost impossible to move forward. Throm glanced at Rose. Though she was trying to hide it, he could tell that her injuries were paining her.

"Let's stop here until the storm dies down," Throm suggested while pointing to a lonely tree.

"We can't risk waiting. The yetis have to be warned," Rose protested weakly.

"We won't do them any good if we get buried in the snow," Throm pointed out.

"I agree. Besides, you need your rest. That Oztaz guy did a real number on you. And it probably didn't help that you had to use so much of your energy," Pala agreed. Throm patted down as much snow as he could, and then he helped Rose sit down with her back leaning against the tree. His wolf curled up at her side, and Pala landed in her lap. Throm sat nearby and watched the snow fall. Before long his head began to nod, and he drifted into an uneasy sleep as the day's events replayed in his mind.

"Humans? What humans do on mountain in snowstorm?" a girl's voice asked. Throm jerked awake and looked up. A strange figure stood before him with his wolf at their side. She had gray skin on her face, hands, and feet. Everywhere else she was covered with coarse white fur. Throm noticed she also had a small tail which was also covered with fur. The fur that covered her was neatly groomed, so she didn't look like a beast or animal. Her fingernails and toenails were painted pale blue, and she had dark blue eyes. She wore a necklace made of gray river stones and with a horseshoe strung on it. She wasn't large, but she was taller than Throm.

"Oh! You up! Good! Yeto and Yeta like visitors. You come with Yetsa to house?" the yeti asked. By now Rose had woken up, as well as Pala. Throm glanced at Rose, who shrugged. He turned back to Yetsa.

"Sure. My friend is hurt. Do you have any medicine at your house?" Throm asked. Yetsa nodded.

"Yes. Yeto make good soup. It help you. I lead you back to house," she said. Throm helped Rose to her feet as Pala took off and hovered nearby. Yetsa led the way through the snow and up the mountain. By now it had stopped snowing, so the hike was much more manageable. After about ten minutes of hiking, a stone came into view. It was placed on an outcropping of rock, and it was three or four feet high. There was a hole in the middle, and when the wind gusted through it the stone seemed to play music.

"What's that?" Throm asked. Yetsa followed his gaze.

"That song stone. Legend say if hero sing song that stone play, hero learn from ancient master of swords," Yetsa explained in her clipped Hylian.

"I saw one of those at the Fishing Hole. When I was younger, I used to sit by it and listen to the music it would play. I never did find out what it was for," Throm said thoughtfully. Yetsa nodded.

"Many song stones around Hyrule. This only song stone in mountains," Yetsa said. She patted Throm's wolf's head fondly.

"Wolf good. Wolf come to mansion and lead to you," Yetsa said. Throm glanced at his wolf, which blinked in return.

"Oh," Throm said.

"Howl Stones," Rose said.

"What?" Throm asked.

"The rock, it's called a Howl Stone. The great Hero of Hyrule used them to communicate with an ancient hero of legend, who taught him special sword techniques," Rose explained.

"Hero of Hyrule friend of yeti. Saved mansion. Good sled racer too," Yetsa said.

"Sled racer?" Throm asked. Yetsa glanced at him.

"Sled racing fun. You race me sometime?" Yetsa asked. Throm didn't reply as they continued walking. After a couple more minutes, they reached a snowy wall. Yetsa began scrapping away snow to reveal a cave. After she had finished, she led the way inside the winding tunnel. When they reached the far side, a circular stone blocked the way. Yetsa rolled it out of the way, and the group walked onto a large clearing on the top of the mountain. A tree was nearby, but instead of regular leaves it had only leaves made of ice. The leaves were easily large enough to stand on.

Yetsa marched up the small hill and to the tree. The hill fell steeply on the other side and then ended at a chasm. A small bridge was on the side of the cliff, which granted access to a clearing at the other side of the cliff.

"Don't worry. Mansion close. You rest there," Yetsa said. Throm nodded, while Rose grunted.

An hour or so later, Throm stood before a large stone mansion. The mansion had seen better days, but it looked as though it was in the process of having some renovations. Yetsa opened the door and gestured for them to enter. Inside it was warm, and suits of armor lined the entryway. Yetsa guided them into a different room, which was furnished with several couches and armchairs. A different yeti was seated on an armchair here. She looked just like Yetsa, except her skin was chocolate brown instead of gray, and her nails were pale green. A blanket was folded nearby. It was made with alternating white, pale orange, and pale green diamonds. The yeti stood up when the group entered.

"Yetsa! You found friends! You hungry? Yeto make soup," the female yeti said.

"Yeta, this human hurt. Needs healing," Yetso said while gesturing to Rose. Yeta nodded and guided Rose to a couch.

"Stay here. I come back with tea," Yeta said. She left the room through a door that Throm hadn't noticed before. After she left, Throm sat down on a chair, while his wolf curled up nearby in front of the roaring fireplace. Yetsa sat nearby as well.

"You have names?" she asked.

"I'm Throm, and this is Rose and Pala. We're here to warn you," Throm explained.

"Warn? Why? No danger in mountains," Yetsa said thoughtfully. The door opened again, and two yeti entered this time. Yeta and a new one. This one was much larger than all of the yeti Throm had met so far, and had a much larger tail than the others. He wore a saddle on his head, and had gray skin.

"WELCOME!" the large yeti boomed. "I YETO! THIS PRETTY WIFE YETA AND PRETTY DAUGHTER YETSA!"

"Hi Yeto. I'm Throm, and this is Rose and Pala. We've come to warn you about something. Rose knows the specifics," Throm explained. Rose nodded.

"A sorcerer named Oztaz has stolen a stone tablet which explains how to raise the dead. Oztaz intends to resurrect his master, Lord Ganondorf. To do that he needs a zora, a yeti, a goron, a human, and a member of the royal family. He already has a zora, and now he needs a yeti. You must be prepared to defend yourselves," Rose explained.

"OZTAZ SHOWS FACE HERE, I SHOW FIST. OZTAZ NO TAKE FAMILY!" Yeto roared. Yeta gave Rose a cup of tea, which Rose drank gratefully. When she finished, she sighed with relief.

"Thank you. I feel much better now," she said.

"WARNING GOOD. WE WATCH. OZTAZ NO COME," Yeto said confidently. Throm rubbed his ears. Yeto really couldn't talk any quieter, could he? It must have been a yeti thing.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that," a familiar harsh voice said. Throm's heart sank. He turned his head to see Oztaz sanding not too far away. The sorcerer smirked.

"Hello again," he said.


	6. Chapter 6

"I am surprised that you managed the hike up the mountain after the injuries you sustained. I would have thought that it would have been enough to keep you from your travels. But no matter. I can complete my task just as easily with you underfoot," Oztaz said.

"YOU OZTAZ?" Yeto demanded. Oztaz raised his eyebrows.

"Yes you pathetic half-wit. I can't believe that my master needs one of your souls to come back to life. I hope he will forgive me for choosing such substandard specimens," Oztaz said disdainfully. Yeto clenched his fists.

"GO OZTAZ. TAKE EVIL SOMEWHERE ELSE," Yeto roared.

"Gladly. But I need something first," he said. Before anyone could react, he had pulled out a new empty bottle and cast a spell on Yetsa, which turned her into dust and sucked her into the bottle. He tucked the bottle back under his cloak and grinned.

"It has been a pleasure, but I must be going. I have a meeting with the goron tribe chief, and I don't want to be late. If the two of you continue to follow me, I will have no choice but to accept the convenience of such easy human souls. Farewell," Oztaz said. Yeto roared and charged forward, but Oztaz dissolved into smoke and vanished. Yeta started crying, and Yeto turned to Throm, his wolf, Rose, and Pala.

"YOU RESCUE YETSA. SHE NEED YOU. TAKE THIS. ANCIENT GIFT," Yeto said. He walked over to the fireplace and took down a sword. Throm hadn't noticed it at first, but now that he had spotted it, it was obvious. The sword was plainly made, with a wooden handle and a sleek metal blade. Yeto handed it to Throm, who accepted it carefully. When Throm's wolf saw the blade, his ears flattened and he growled angrily.

"But I don't know how to use a sword!" Throm protested, ignoring his wolf.

"YOU WILL. SWORD GIFT FROM HYRULE HERO. ORDON BLADE. SERVE YOU WELL. WHO KNOW? MAYBE BLADE GOOD LUCK," Yeto said. He handed Throm a scabbard, and Throm sheathed the sword before slinging it over his shoulder.

"Rescue Yetsa," Yeta pleaded tearfully. Throm nodded.

"We've got to hurry if we want to warn the gorons before Oztaz gets there. It's a long journey. We need to cross Hyrule Field and go to Kakariko Village," Rose said. Throm and his wolf followed her and Pala out of the mansion and back into the snowy wilderness. When Throm glanced back, Yeto and Yeta were waving goodbye.

The group trekked in silence until they reached the Howl Stone. At that point Rose paused and gazed thoughtfully at the stone. Throm paused at well.

"What are you thinking?" Throm asked.

"Well, now that you have a sword, you should probably learn how to use it," Rose suggested slowly. Throm glanced at the Howl Stone.

"You aren't seriously considering . . ." he began slowly, before trailing off into silence.

"Think about it. The Hero of Hyrule learned from the ancient hero by singing along with the Howl Stone. If the Hero of Hyrule did it, you probably should do it too," Rose suggested. Throm's wolf began growling again.

"I don't know . . . I probably would just mess it up," Throm said.

"You won't know if you don't try," Rose pointed out.

"I don't see why you couldn't give it a try. The Howl Stone probably won't do anything anyway," Pala pointed out.

"I guess I could give it a try," Throm finally conceded. He walked forward until he was standing beside the Howl Stone. Now that he was closer, he could hear the notes clearly. He hesitated.

"What am I supposed to do?" Throm called to his friends.

"I don't know. It's called a Howl Stone. Try howling at it," Rose suggested. Throm felt extremely silly, but he howled at the stone anyway. Nothing happened.

"I don't think that's it," he called back.

"Maybe you have to howl the song that the stone is singing," Pala suggested. Feeling even sillier, Throm began howling along with the Howl Stone. At first he sounded horrible and nothing happened, but he finally managed to mimic the song. Once he did, his vision went totally white, and everything around him vanished.

When Throm could see again, he was standing on a thin outcropping of rock above Hyrule. Up above stars gleamed, and down below was a thick blanket of clouds. Throm could see the spires of Hyrule castle in the distance, and a different outcropping beside a volcanic peak. An albino wolf was perched on that outcropping.

The wolf began howling the same song as the Howl Stone had been playing, and Throm found himself howling along. He had no idea why, but the moment just seemed to call for it. When the song finished, the albino wolf stared at Throm.

"Take sword in hand and find me," the albino wolf said. It stood and dove off of the rock, and Throm's vision became completely white once again.

When Throm could see again, he was back on the snowy mountain. The Howl Stone wasn't singing any more.

"Are you ok?" Rose asked. She was standing beside Throm, looking at him with concern.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Throm asked.

"After you howled the song, you just sort of froze. You weren't moving for the longest time, so we came over to check up on you. Then suddenly you seemed to snap out of it. What happened?" Rose asked.

"When I howled the song, everything went white. Then I could see, and I was standing on a pillar of stone above Hyrule. There was an albino wolf on another pillar, and we howled the song together. After the song was over, he said 'Take sword in hand and find me'," Throm explained.

"I wonder if that was the ancient hero who will teach you sword techniques," Pala piped up.

"We'll have to find out later, because right now we've got to get to Death Mountain. We don't have time to hunt for albino wolves," Rose said. Throm nodded, and the group continued down the mountain and back to Zora's Domain. As they exited the tunnel, they ran into King Ralis.

"Did you have any luck?" he asked. Rose shook her head.

"Oztaz managed to grab a yeti names Yetsa. That means that he's halfway done with gathering the required items for the ritual," she explained.

"He just needs a goron, human, and member of the royal family, correct?" King Ralis asked.

"Yes, and one more thing. Ganondorf was killed by the Hero of Hyrule, Link. In order to resurrect Ganondorf, Oztaz needs to either capture Link and kill him with the same sword that killed Ganondorf, or he needs to do the same to one of Link's descendants. Preferably a firstborn son, but a firstborn daughter would work as well," Rose explained.

"We should probably get going," Pala suggested.

"Yeah," Throm agreed. Rose nodded.

"There is no river which leads to Death Mountain, though many zoras have been there before," King Ralis explained.

"Why would zoras go to a volcano?" Pala asked in surprise.

"Death Mountain and Kakariko Village contain the most wonderful hot springs, as well as the fact that they have a pool of water with special healing properties. It is worth the time and pain of traveling on foot to get there," King Ralis said wistfully. Throm wished that he had been allowed to go to Death Mountain and Kakariko Village as a child.

"I know a way to get there pretty quickly. How fast can you swim?" Rose asked Throm. He didn't see how that was relevant, but he answered anyway.

"Not as fast as most zoras, but pretty fast," he replied.

"I've got an idea," Rose said. "If the zoras can lend us a boat, Throm can swim in the water and push it down the river to North Hyrule Field. There we can ride horses west to the old gorge. We can follow that to the Bridge of Eldin, and cross that to West Hyrule Field. From there it's a short trip south to Kakariko Village, and then we can climb Death Mountain." Throm tried to envision the landscape as Rose spoke, but he found it difficult. How large was Hyrule? King Ralis nodded.

"A sound plan. We can provide a boat, but zoras do not use horses," he said.

"I'll worry about the horses," Rose promised.

"I will have the boat ready within the hour."


	7. Chapter 7

True to his word, a boat was waiting an hour later. The boat was no more than a canoe really, fashioned out of wood panels and some sort of sticky substance. Leaves littered the bottom, along with several fish scales. The whole thing reeked of fish.

"For zoras, I expected something nicer. They live in water after all," Pala complained.

"We prefer to swim with our own fins. It was difficult enough to find this boat," King Ralis apologized. Throm's wolf grunted.

"It's fine. Thank you," Rose said. She climbed into the canoe, which rocked dangerously, and then settled herself on the carpet of leaves. Throm's wolf hopped in behind her, and Pala floated in the air above them. Throm eased himself into the water behind the boat.

"When we reach the Upper Zora River, you'll want to turn immediately left," Rose explained.

"Upper Zora River?" Throm asked. He had never actually learned the proper name for any locations beside Zora's Domain. After all, he had never actually been there.

"Where you met me," Rose clarified.

"Oh. Right," Throm said.

"Be careful," King Ralis said. Throm grabbed hold of the back of the canoe and swiftly propelled them forward. Zora's Domain soon was out of sight behind them.

They reached Upper Zora River a few moments later, and Throm carefully steered the boat to the left. It wouldn't do to knock his passengers into the water. In front of them he spotted a tunnel carved into the side of the rocky wall. It was dark, with the only light coming from torches positioned along the wall. As they passed into the shadows of the tunnel, the water became cooler. Throm felt a swift current tugging him along, and he allowed it to do most of the work.

A few minutes later, the group left the tunnel and reached daylight. Throm gasped and nearly swallowed a mouthful of water.

The sides of the river were carpeted with neatly carved stone blocks. Up ahead was a stone bridge which granted access from one side of the river to the other. The terrain around them was grassy, with the occasional tree. But none of those things were what held Throm captivated.

Up ahead, beyond the bridge, lay Hyrule Castle. Elegant spires reached for the sky, topped with blue roofing. The white stone of the castle seemed to glitter in the sunlight. A thick stone wall surrounded the castle, but it only made what lay beyond all the more inviting.

"If you take us beyond the bridge, there should be a place on the right where we can pull the boat to shore," Rose suggested, bringing Throm's thoughts back to the matter at hand. He steered the boat to the right and waited until the boat had passed beyond the bridge before pulling them to shore. Rose and Throm's wolf climbed out of the canoe, and Throm exited the water.

"Well, here we are. How are we going to find some horses?" Throm asked.

"I'll just cast a quick summoning charm," Rose explained.

"Are you sure about that? I mean, you just barely healed . . ." Throm said while trailing off. Rose glared at him.

"I know my limits," she snapped. Throm took a step back, startled by her sudden ferocity. She blinked and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, it's just . . . I hate feeling underestimated," Rose admitted.

"No, I'm sorry. I should have stayed quiet. You know yourself better than I do," Throm said. Rose turned and gazed at the fields around them. Then she closed her eyes and extended a hand.

"_Hennam Sarhih_," she said. Throm waited expectantly, but nothing happened.

"The horses should be on their way," she explained.

"How are you a sorcerer anyway? I heard that there aren't very many true sorcerers these days," Throm pointed out. Rose looked up at the sky.

"I never knew my family. Queen Zelda always acted like a mother to me. She took me under her wing, and trained me. She taught me how to control my magic and use it for the good of others," she explained.

"I never knew my parents either," Throm admitted.

"Perhaps, when this crisis is over, we can both discover who our families truly are," Rose suggested. At that moment, Throm caught sight of two horses galloping across the field towards them. One was a chestnut bay stallion with white socks, while the other was a black bay mare with white socks. The two horses were conveniently wearing saddles already, and they reached the group quickly. Rose walked up to the mare and rubbed its muzzle.

"These are good horses. They will take us where we need," she said.

"How can you tell?" Throm asked while walking up to the stallion.

"I've always had a special connection with horses. To be honest, it's like I can read their thoughts, or like I can speak to them," Rose explained.

"Really. And what are they saying?" Throm asked, only half-believing her.

"The stallion is saying that he can't believe that he has to take you," Rose translated. Throm glanced at the stallion.

"Well. I'm not sure if I should be offended by that or not," Throm said.

"Let's get going. We need to go to the gorons," Pala piped up. Rose nodded and climbed on the mare. Throm did the same on the stallion. As soon as he seated himself on the stallion, it took a few steps back. Throm reached desperately for the reins, but there were none. Instead, he clung to the saddle. The mare neighed at the stallion, and he snorted in response.

"Where are the reins?" Throm asked. Rose laughed.

"They can lead themselves. You don't have to worry. They'll take us where we wish to go," Rose said. She then turned to the mare.

"Will you please take us through the gorge and to Kakariko Village? And please be sure not to leave Pala the fairy or Throm's wolf behind," she said. The mare shook its mane, and then did something rather odd. It turned and stared eye to eye with Throm's wolf. After a moment, the two stopped and the group began traveling to the gorge. Throm hung on to the saddle. He had never seen a horse before, much less ridden on one. And now that he had seen a horse, he wasn't sure he liked them much. They seemed too intelligent. It made him nervous.

They rode into a gorge with towering cliff walls. The horses' trotting echoed in the narrow stone quarters, and the area seemed quiet. Almost too quiet. The air felt wrong.

"Something doesn't feel right," Throm said softly. Rose nodded.

"I can sense it too. Oztaz is watching our progress," she replied.

"Should we pick up the pace?" Throm asked.

"No. It won't make a difference. Oztaz used an extensive amount of magic in a short period of time. If I sensed his magical abilities correctly, we have until dawn tomorrow to warn the gorons," Rose replied.

"So he just needs the goron, the human, the royal vessel, and this Link guy or one of his descendants," Throm clarified. Rose nodded.

"The full moon is tomorrow. Oztaz will have to regain all the magic he can tonight if he wants to be able to complete the ritual. I'm sure he is going to want the goron tribe chief's son, Gor Tarrin. If I was him, I would also take a human from Kakariko Village, preferably one that is young. I would do something to delay you and me, and then teleport to the castle and take what I needed from there. Then I would go to the location of Ganondorf's death. Only Queen Zelda and Link know where that was, but I'm sure Oztaz will find a way to discover it. And I'm sure Oztaz also has a plan for finding Link," Rose said.

At this point the group exited the canyon. In front of them was a large stone bridge spanning a wide canyon. Throm noticed that the sun was beginning to sink lower in the sky. They only had perhaps two hours of daylight left.

"We should probably hurry," Rose said, more to the horses than anyone else. The horses broke into a brisk trot across the bridge, with Pala and Throm's wolf easily keeping pace. In no time they were in West Hyrule Field, galloping across the vast plain. The sun continued to sink lower in the sky, and Throm started to grow worried.

"Here we are! Didn't I tell you that these horses were reliable?" Rose said happily as they reached the edge of the plain. A crevice surrounded West Hyrule Field. The only way across was a red stone pillar which had fallen in and now acted as a bridge. The land beyond was another gorge, but this one was made of orange and red stone. No grass grew there.

The horses galloped across the stone and into the gorge. They passed an iron gate, and a small village came into view. Nestled here in the dust, it look to be a hundred years old. The buildings were all worn down and yellowed, and the ground was dusty and barren. On the opposite side of the village lay a spring of clear water. No people were wandering the single street of the village.

"I present to you, Kakariko Village!" Rose said grandly, as if showing off some beautiful gemstone or fine castle. Throm snorted. Zora's Domain was much nicer than this. Rose scowled at him.

"Show a bit of respect. This place has been around for ages," she said.

"I don't doubt it," Throm replied. Rose rolled her eyes as the horses continued forward.

"Let's just fine the gorons."


	8. Chapter 8

The horses walked slowly along the road before coming to a stop before a domed house. Rose climbed off of the mare, and Throm did the same for the stallion.

"What's going on? Is this where the gorons live?" Throm asked. Rose shook her head.

"No, but they do visit sometimes. This is the shaman's home here at Kakariko Village. I thought that since we were already here, we might as well warn the humans. They also might be able to tell us more about Gor Tarrin," she explained. Throm and his wolf followed her and Pala inside the domed building.

A stone statue sat in the middle of the small room. The walls were lined with torches, though few of them were lit. The room felt dark and ominous. Two people were in the room. One was a woman with short straight black hair, while the other was a man with blond hair. They both appeared to be in their early thirties. They glanced up in surprise when the group entered.

"Visitors! It has been some time since any have visited our village," the man said.

"Rose! How lovely to see you again," the woman burst out happily.

"Hello Luda. Hi Colin. I'm sure you remember Pala. This is Throm and his wolf," Rose introduced.

"Have you come to enjoy the hot springs?" Luda asked. Rose shook her head.

"No, we came here with a warning. A sorcerer named Oztaz is trying to complete a ritual which will resurrect his master, Lord Ganondorf. In order to do that he needs a goron, human, royal vessel, and Link or one of his descendants," she explained. "We believe that he intends to use Gor Tarrin as the goron, and Rusl."

"Rusl? Why Rusl?" Luda asked.

"He is your son, and you are the shaman of this village. He is also young," Rose explained.

"I must go warn the gorons," Colin said.

"We will worry about the gorons. You just need to keep your son out of trouble. Where is he anyway? It's late," Rose noticed.

"He went to the graveyard with Gor Tarrin. They wanted to pay their respects to their grandfathers before the big sumo match tomorrow morning," Luda said.

"We'll have to go warn them that they should be careful," Rose said.

"I will scout the village and check for any abnormalties," Colin said. He and Luda stood and left the house. Throm's wolf nosed open the door and left a few moments after they did. Throm turned to Rose.

"Looks like we finally beat Oztaz somewhere," he said.

"For the moment. But we can't let Rusl and Gor Tarrin out of our sight. I know them. They're young, and sometimes make poor decisions. We should probably go retrieve them from the graveyard. It isn't a good place to be at night," Rose decided. Throm nodded. The two of them crossed to the door and Throm jiggled the handle. It was locked.

"What the . . ." he said, trying it again. It wouldn't budge.

"We're locked in?" Pala asked.

"Yeah. Why would Luda and Colin lock us in?" Throm asked.

"They didn't. That's not the kind of thing they would do. They're very good people. Someone, or something, else locked us in," Rose said, looking at Throm.

"You don't think that Oztaz is here already, do you?" he asked hesitantly.

"No, I would have sensed it. It was someone else. Someone who did it after your wolf left. Unless . . ." Rose said, trailing off.

"What?" Pala asked.

"Unless your wolf did something to trap us in here," Rose finished.

"Well, I mean, he has done things like that before . . ." Throm murmured.

"Seriously? That's one crazy wolf you've got," Pala laughed. Rose and Throm didn't join in.

"Let's just focus on getting out of here," Rose said. She sighed. "I can do a quick opening spell. It'll only take a moment."

"I think it's the only option we have," Throm agreed. Rose held a hand up, palm towards the door.

"_Adin Paar_," she said. Something clicked, and the door swung silently open. Rose took a deep breath.

"That took a bit more power than I expected," she said.

"At least it worked," Throm commented.

"Barely. We should get going to the graveyard. It isn't far," Rose said. She led the way outside. The horses were gone, and the sun was hidden from view. The whole village was illuminated with a harsh red light. Luda, Colin, and Throm's wolf were nowhere to be seen.

Rose, Pala, and Throm walked behind the domed house and along a small path. Ahead of them sagged a broken wooden signpost, and beyond that lay the graveyard. Weathered white tombstones littered the ground, most of them too old to be readable. Two tombstones were newer than the others. Throm's wolf was sniffing around these tombstones.

"There you are buddy. What's the big deal? Why'd you lock us in the house?" Throm asked while crouching down and rubbing the wolf's head. The wolf growled and snapped at his hand, and Throm drew back.

"What was that all about?" Rose asked.

"I'm not sure. He's not usually like this. And he's never tried to bite me before," Throm said thoughtfully.

"It doesn't look like Gor Tarrin or Rusl are here anymore," Pala announced.

"They probably went up Death Mountain. We should look around though, just to be safe," Rose agreed. She and Pala began looking around the tombstones, while Throm walked past the new gravestones. Up ahead was a raised platform. He climbed on it, hoping that the added height would give him a better view. To his surprise, he wasn't alone on the platform.

The albino wolf from before was sitting on the platform not too far away. It was glowing slightly in the twilight, and was staring at Throm without blinking.

"Uh, guys? I found the albino wolf," Throm said without taking his eyes off of it. The wolf stood up and growled, baring it's fangs at Throm. He drew his sword.

"Easy boy . . ." he said hesitantly. Throm heard paws hit the ground behind him, and something began dragging him backwards. The albino wolf crouched and pounced at Throm with a sharp bark. Throm raised his arms protectively and closed his eyes, and then everything went dark.

After a moment of nothing happening, Throm opened his eyes. He was no longer in the graveyard. Now he was standing on what appeared to be clouds. All around was the blinding whiteness. Two people stood in front of him. One was facing Throm, the other was standing between him and Throm.

The one facing Throm was clearly a ghost or a phantom. He had gray nearly invisible skin and wore rusted, moss covered armor. He carried a large sword and shield.

The one closest to Throm and facing the warrior was human. He was wearing a green tunic and hat, and he was also holding a sword and a shield. He had dirty blond hair and had normal colored skin.

"Step aside," the old warrior said.

"I refuse," the green warrior replied.

"Your time has passed. You are no longer the hero of destiny. This new hero has risen to take your place," the old warrior said. Throm's mind raced. If the dead warrior was the one who was supposed to teach him, then did that mean that the man in green was no other than Link himself? How was that possible?

"He's too young. I will rise to meet the challenge," Link promised.

"You cannot shield him from his destiny, just as your family could not shield you," the old warrior explained.

"What do I care of them? They abandoned me. They left me to save Hyrule. I will not make the same mistake."

"You must allow the new hero to fulfill his destiny."

"No one can force him into this destiny. The curse will end here."

"Are you Link? What are you doing here? How are you alive?" Throm asked. Link turned to face Throm for the first time. His eyes softened slightly.

"Yes, I am Link. I have always been alive. In truth, I never died. I only transformed into a different shape, which is a secret only four know about," he explained.

"And why are you here?" Throm asked.

"I am here because you are here. I am here to protect you, Throm," Link said. Throm's heart started to beat faster. He had a feeling he might know what was coming next, though he half-wished he was wrong.

"I'm here to protect my son from this curse," Link finished.


	9. Chapter 9

"How?" That was the first thing Throm managed to say. He didn't think he could say any more than that.

"After I rescued Hyrule, I married Queen Zelda. We had two children. You, and your little sister, Princess Tanti," Link explained.

"Why?" Throm asked. He could only say single word sentences.

"After your birth, we discovered that there was a curse on our families. You and your sister were in terrible danger. Your mother kept your sister at the castle. I took you to the zoras. I also transformed into my wolf form so that I could protect you in secret. The zoras were to keep you isolated from the outside world. They were not supposed to mention anything about Ganondorf, myself, or the calamities that had befallen Hyrule," Link said.

"All of those years . . . and not one word. We could have been a family. You could have protected me just as well as a human," Throm exclaimed angrily.

"No. My presence might have only endangered you more. It was the only way."

"What gave you the right to decide that I would never know anything about my family? That I would live among a race that I wasn't? That I would live a _lie_?"

"It was for your own good! To protect you!"

"Well fat lot of good that did," Throm snapped angrily. When he was younger, he had envisioned meeting his real family occasionally. Sometimes, he had imagined that they hid him because they wanted to protect him. But now that he had actually met his father and learned about his heritage, he no longer longed to know the truth. He would have rather remained in darkness.

Throm closed his eyes and willed himself to be back in the real world, far from his father. When he opened his eyes, he was back in the graveyard. The albino wolf was gone, but Link was not. Rose and Pala were on the platform nearby, glancing from Throm to Link and back again.

"Where did he come from? And why is he wearing the legendary hero's garb?" Rose demanded. Throm glared at Link, who glanced away under his gaze.

"Rose, this is . . . my father. Link," Throm said reluctantly.

"At your service," Link said with a bow.

"Your father? Why was he here? How did he get here?" Rose asked.

"He's the one!" Pala exclaimed from above.

"The one you've been searching for?" Rose asked.

"Yes! Link, I was sent from your parents to find you and bring you home," Pala explained. Now it was Link's turn to have emotions war across his face. Throm almost pitied him. He was in the same situation that Throm himself was in. Perhaps abandoning your son ran in the family.

"Now? Why? How?" Link asked.

"They hoped that the curse would pass you over as well, but evidentially not. It took effect on you, as it is now taking effect on your son," Pala explained. Link thought for a moment.

"I can't come with you. Not yet. I must protect my son first. When the business with Oztaz and Ganondorf has passed, I will come," he said. Throm folded his arms.

"Now is where I speak up. You will not be accompanying us. I will complete my current quest with Rose, whether you want me to or not," he said. Rose looked vaguely uncomfortably throughout the whole exchange, but now she spoke up.

"Throm, we have to go. We need to warn Gor Tarrin and Rusl. There might not be much time," she said. Throm nodded. And he and Rose turned and left the graveyard, with Pala flying not far behind. When Throm glanced back his father was standing alone and forlorn, watching his only son who wanted nothing to do with him leave.

By now the sky was black, and stars glittered up above. As soon as the group was back in Kakariko Village, Rose began talking to Throm.

"Throm, are you sure this is such a good idea?" she asked. Throm frowned.

"Now you think I'm weak and need to be protected too?" he asked angrily. Rose shook her head quickly.

"That's not it at all. It's just that your father is the hero Link. He's the one who killed Ganondorf. And did Link mention who your mother was?" she asked.

"Queen Zelda," Throm replied.

"That means that this is three times as dangerous for you as it is for anything. Oztaz can use you as the human, in place of Link, or as the royal vessel. It might be too dangerous for you to be anywhere near where Oztaz will be," Rose explained. Now that Throm thought about it, he realized that she was right. But Throm didn't care. He couldn't stop now.

"Oztaz will probably want Zelda and Link personally," he said. Rose didn't reply as they reached the path to Death Mountain. It wasn't a difficult climb, and the path was well kept. Up ahead Throm could see the foreboding volcano rising in the distance. The climb was silent, each person occupied with their own thoughts. They passed a Howl Stone, but it was silent. When they finally emerged from the winding cliff path, it was at the very foot of the mountain.

"Welcome to Death Mountain, home of the goron tribe," Rose introduced. Throm only nodded. The clearing was hot and dry, the opposite of his home in Zora's Domain. Rose led the way to an opening in the cliff face, which soon led to a small cave. The cave housed several interesting looking boulders, as well as a different path and a metal elevator. Rose stepped onto the elevator.

"This elevator should take us directly up to the goron's common area. With any luck, that's where Gor Tarrin and Rusl are," Rose explained. Throm stepped onto the elevator beside her, and it began the slow, creeping accent upwards.

After several moments of traveling, the elevator came to a sudden stop. Rose, Throm, and Pala stepped out into the new cave. This one was filled with lit torches, and a circular stage was placed in the center of the room. A few gorons were there, but the cave was relatively empty. Throm noticed that among the gorons were a young looking goron and a human. Both the human boy and the young goron looked like they couldn't be older than ten or eleven. Those were probably Gor Tarrin and Rusl. Rusl had sandy blond hair, and looked very much like his father.

"Rusl! Gor Tarrin! Thank goodness you're both here!" Rose exclaimed, leaving the elevator. The kids and gorons all looked up.

"Rose! To what do we owe the pleasure?" an ancient goron asked with a smile.

"We're here to warn you!" Rose burst out.

"About what?" Gor Tarrin asked curiously.

"If I were to make my best guess, I would say that they were going to warn you about me. I will say, the two of you managed to put of quite a fight. But once again, your efforts have proven worthless," a voice said. Rose's eyes widened in horror.

"No! It's not possible! Your power . . . it shouldn't be recharged until dawn!" she exclaimed, turning to gaze at the speaker. Once again Oztaz had reached his next victims before Rose, Throm, and Pala had time to properly warn them.


	10. Chapter 10

"Unlike you, Rose darling, I don't draw my magical power from inside myself. I draw it from elsewhere. I'm at full capacity at the moment. You on the other hand, must be getting near your limit by now," Oztaz said.

"I still have enough power to stop you!" Rose declared, taking a step forward. Oztaz laughed.

"I would be rather impressed if you did. Go on. Give it your best shot," he challenged with a smirk. Rose took a deep breath.

"_Bryp ans Tyns bih Syrkniss, Diyl Pawir onsa Osim_," Rose commanded in a loud voice while making a strange symbol with her hand. As soon as she finished speaking, she fell to the ground. Pala circled her head frantically, but Rose's eyes remained closed. Evidently, the spell she had just cast had spent her power. Throm waited hopefully for Oztaz to be hit with the effects of the spell. Oztaz shuddered for a moment and grimaced, and he temporarily vanished. But only a moment later he reappeared, as sinister as ever. He glanced at Rose who was lying on the floor.

"I'll admit, I'm rather impressed. You have some serious potential. But for the moment, I have more important business to attend to," Oztaz said. He pulled out two bottles, and both Gor Tarrin and Rusl became slightly transparent. First Gor Tarrin vanished into a bottle, and Rusl soon followed. It all happened so fast that none of the gorons or Throm could react. When Throm finally came to his senses, he drew his sword and took a step forward. Wasn't that why he had the sword? To stop Oztaz and defend everyone? So far, Rose was the only one who had done any real fighting. Now it was Throm's turn to face Oztaz. Oztaz laughed as Throm raised his sword.

"Do you honestly expect to challenge me? You, a mere mortal boy, against me, an all-powerful sorcerer?" he asked. He waved his hand, and Throm was thrown into a row of gorons. Oztaz glanced at Rose, and she floated into the air.

"Now you . . . you are interesting. I think I'll take you," he said. Throm climbed to his feet and charged Oztaz, but Oztaz only laughed and vanished, taking Rose and the bottles with him. Throm's sword only cut through empty air. The gorons and Pala watched silently while Throm kicked the wall. When Throm finished with his tantrum, one of the gorons spoke.

"Where will you go now?" he asked. Throm sheathed his sword.

"I'm going to Hyrule Castle. Maybe I can still save the queen and princess," Throm explained.

"I'm coming with you," Pala said. Throm didn't argue. Between himself and Pala, he was sure that Queen Zelda would listen to him.

"What do you mean?" Pala complained loudly in an outraged voice. She and Throm were standing at Hyrule Castle gate, their way barred by two castle guards. The guards were both dressed in chainmail and carried spears. Throm didn't see how that would stop a sword from cutting the spear in half, but that was beside the point.

"Unless Miss Rose is with you, we simply cannot accept your story," one of the guards repeated.

"But I'm Pala! Rose's fairy friend!" Pala declared.

"I'm afraid that we can't take the word of a fairy. And this questionable young man is bearing a sword. If you wish, we can send a message into the castle to Queen Zelda's advisers," the soldier said.

"How long will that take?" Throm asked.

"Three months to process and determine if your claim is sufficient enough. Then it could be another two months before her highness can see you."

"We can't wait that long! Zelda and Tanti are in danger!" Pala shouted.

"Listen, I'm Throm. Queen Zelda's son. And since I am, I order you to let us in!" Throm said in his most commanding voice he could manage. The soldiers both blinked for a moment, and then burst out laughing. Throm felt his skin start to burn. He had admitted his heritage, yet they still didn't believe him?

"Kid, Queen Zelda doesn't have a son. She had a daughter. Princess Tanti. She never had any more children because the king ran off with some other woman. An otherworlder no less," the second soldier said. Throm's hands began shaking. He may not be happy with his parent's decisions, but he didn't want this soldier insulting his dad.

"My father did not run off with-" Throm growled in a dangerous voice, but he was cut off by someone clearing their throat behind the guards. The guards stepped aside, revealing a young girl. She looked to be about eighteen, and she was wearing a billowing white gown. She had long golden blond hair and shocking pale blue eyes. Her shoes were sandals made of some sort of metallic violet metal that was twisted into intricate designs. She also had two similar bracelets on her wrists and two more decorating her hair. She was either the princess, or someone else very important.

"What's going on here?" she asked in a soft voice.

"This young man and fairy claim that they're friends of Rose's and that they have news for Queen Zelda," the first soldier explained.

"I can take it from here," the girl said while looking at Throm and Pala. The soldiers looked like they wanted to protest, but they compressed their lips and stepped aside. Throm and Pala followed the girl into the courtyard.

"I'm sorry if the guards gave you any trouble. I really wish they would allow more people into the castle, but security has tightened lately. And without Rose, I'm rather lonely," the girl explained.

"Are you another handmaiden for Queen Zelda?" Throm asked. It made sense. Rose was one of Zelda's handmaidens, and she wasn't very old either. She was also dressed as nicely as this girl, though perhaps without as many bracelets and ornaments.

"No, Zelda has only two handmaidens. Rose, and an older woman named Nushala. I'm Princess Tanti," the girl explained. Throm did a double take and glanced at her again. So this was his sister. His little sister of course. She was sort of better, and a little worse than he expected her to be.

"Queen Zelda should be just inside, in the throne room," Tanti explained. She led Throm and Pala into the castle, and then up several slights of stairs and down a few halls. When she finally paused, they were standing before a richly decorated door. Tanti opened it without hesitation and stepped inside. After a moment, Throm and Pala followed.

There was a lavish carpet leading to a throne on one side of the room. On the other side of the room, there was a large balcony overlooking Hyrule. On the balcony stood Queen Zelda herself. She had brown hair and a circlet on her head. She was also wearing a lovely cream and light pink dress.

"Mother, a boy and Pala have come. They say that they have a message for you," Tanti said. Queen Zelda turned, and Throm saw several emotions flash across her face. Curiosity, shock, alarm, and love were only a few of them. Throm even thought he saw a hint of regret in her eyes.

"Is it really you?" Queen Zelda asked, walking slowly forward. Throm nodded.

"I can't believe it. After all these years, my son has finally come home," Zelda said happily.

"So he's telling the truth?" Tanti asked. She didn't seem at all shocked that her long lost brother had just come into the castle.

"Yes, he is. But where is your father, Link? And where is Rose? Has she fulfilled her mission?" Zelda asked.

"I don't know where he is, but Rose was captured by Oztaz. He successfully captured a zora, yeti, human, and goron. That's why I'm here. He'll be coming here next, hoping to get a royal vessel," Throm explained. Zelda's eyes widened.

"I hoped I had assumed the worst, but this . . ." she said, and then trailed off.

"What is it? What now?" Pala asked, speaking up for the first time.

"Oztaz won't be coming here. He won't be collecting any more ingredients for the ritual. He already has everything he needs for the full moon tonight," Zelda said in a quiet voice.

"What are you talking about? He still needs the royal vessel, and then Link or me or Tanti," Throm pointed out. But Zelda was already shaking her head.

"It was a grave mistake on my part sending Rose to warn the races. I knew she wouldn't give up. And now it's my fault that she's in danger," Zelda murmured.

"What are you talking about?" Throm repeated anxiously. Zelda met his eyes.

"Rose is no ordinary human. She is Amnythist, Princess of the Twili, daughter of Queen Midna," Zelda said.

"Does she know?" Pala asked.

"No. She was found in the Mirror Chamber, along with a note from Midna. Rose was half human and half twili. Rose was no longer safe in the Twilight Realm, so she was sent here. That's why she has magic powers when others do not. The only exception is Oztaz."

"But Oztaz still needs Link, right?" Throm asked hopefully.

"Epona, Link's treasured horse, was found dead earlier today. She had been almost to the castle town gates when it happened. Poor Epona was hardly recognizable. There were signs of a struggle nearby, and something being dragged away. Our best guess was that Link had been ambushed and captured," Zelda told them.

"Isn't he supposed to be the most powerful hero of all time?" Pala asked.

"His age has been catching up to him. Needless to say, Oztaz has everything he needs for the ritual. Without intervention, Ganondorf will rise again, and Hyrule will fall into darkness," Zelda finished sadly. Throm took a deep breath and gripped his sword.

"I guess it's up to me to stop him then," he said boldly.


	11. Chapter 11

"You can't be serious," Tanti said.

"Of course he is!" Pala said loudly. Zelda sighed.

"Usually I would not allow you to do something so dangerous, but at the moment we have no choice. If Ganondorf rises again, nothing will stop him in his bid for power," she said.

"And I'm going with him," Pala announced. Throm didn't argue. In truth, he wanted the company.

"Take one of the palace horses. If you want to stop Oztaz, you'll have to go to West Hyrule Field. That is the location where Ganondorf died," Zelda explained. Throm nodded, and together he and Pala left the castle and traveled to the stables. To Throm's surprise, the black stallion that had carried him to Kakariko Village was among the other horses. Throm stepped up to its side, and it blinked at him with its large eyes. Throm rubbed its neck.

"Hey buddy. Didn't expect to see you here. Mind taking me to West Hyrule Field?" Throm asked.

"Might want to stay away from that one. He's a wild beast. Doesn't let anyone ride 'em. Odd, considering the fact that his mother was Epona. His sister's well-mannered enough though," an elderly voice called from the other side of the stable. A gray haired man stepped into view from another stall.

"What are you talking about?" Throm asked.

"He's too wild to ride. Usually even too wild to touch," the old man replied.

"I'll admit he's got spirit, but it's possible to ride him," Throm said. The old man shrugged.

"No one has ever ridden him successfully. We call 'em Thunderhoof. Shame he can't be ridden. He's one of our best horses."

"Can I borrow him? Queen Zelda said that I could choose a horse from the stables," Throm explained.

"If ya can ride the brute, you're welcome to keep it. Good luck." The old man disappeared back into the stall, and Throm returned his attention to Thunderhoof.

"I take it you won't want me to put a saddle on you, huh?" Throm asked. Thunderhoof tossed his head.

"Quit talking to the horse and get a move on! We're running out of time!" Pala declared. Throm nodded and climbed on Thunderhoof. He was nervous about riding without a saddle, but he felt certain that Thunderhoof wouldn't let him fall. Not on purpose anyway. Thunderhoof cantered out of the stable and galloped to West Hyrule Field. Throm wrapped his arms around Thunderhoof's neck, and Pala fluttered close behind. The full moon was high in the sky, almost directly overhead. Throm knew that they were running out of time.

As they galloped across the field, Throm spotted a lone figure standing in the distance. He had no doubt in his mind that it was Oztaz.

"To Oztaz Thunderhoof. To . . . to my destiny," Throm said softly in Thunderhoof's ear. Thunderhoof changed direction slightly and sped up. Slowly, Oztaz drew nearer. Throm drew his sword. If he was lucky, he could strike down Oztaz as he galloped past. Surely a horse could move faster than Oztaz could cast a spell.

Suddenly, monsters emerged from the ground between Throm and Oztaz. They looked like skeletal dogs, with tattered bits of skin and fur hanging off of them.

"Look out!" Pala shouted. Thunderhoof charged forward and jumped, clearing four of the beasts. One lunged at Throm, and he knocked it away with his sword. All the while, Oztaz drew nearer. When they were eight feet away, Oztaz abruptly extended a hand. A beam of electricy exploded outwards, striking Throm and throwing him from Thunderhoof's back. Thunderhoof reared and continued his charge, heedless of Throm's disappearance. As Thunderhoof reached Oztaz, Oztaz snapped his fingers and an electric cage appeared around Thunderhoof. Oztaz slowly walked towards Throm with a smirk on his face.

Throm struggled to lift his arms or to even move, but he was completely paralyzed. He felt his heart sink. He should have realized that something like this would happen. There was no way he really had a destiny, and that he was supposed to be the next hero of Hyrule. Pala shot forward towards Oztaz, but he smacked her out of the air with a casual wave of his hand. Throm gritted his teeth. Oztaz would regret that.

"And so, the final necessary ingredient comes to me," Oztaz said with a smirk. He paused in front of Throm and laughed.

"Did you honestly believe that Link was to be the final ingredient? No, he is not. Ganondorf wants the honor of killing Link himself, as well as that meddlesome Zelda. You are the final ingredient Throm. And now everything is in place for the ceremony." Oztaz removed the four bottles from his cloak and uncorked them. Wenglock, Yetsa, Gor Tarrin, and Rusl all appeared. Each of them was bound by black cords of shadow.

"Each of you will offer your souls in exchange for Ganondorf's," Oztaz commanded. Wenglock laughed.

"And what makes you think we're going to do that?" he asked. Oztaz regarded him.

"If you don't, then your friend Throm will be killed," Oztaz said. Wenglock looked at Throm. Throm wanted to shout, 'Don't do it! He's going to kill me anyway!' but his lips refused to corporate. After a moment, Wenglock sighed and nodded.

"Only because I know that Throm's gonna kick his butt once he resurrects. Then I'll get my soul back," Wenglock said.

"The same goes for all of you. You will willingly offer your souls, or Throm will die. Following his death will be your family, and then the rest of your kind," Oztaz said. After some hesitation, each of the four nodded. Throm was screaming with frustration inside. They were falling right into Oztaz's trap!

Oztaz waved his hand, and Rose appeared drifting in the air. As soon as she appeared, she began struggling.

"Release me!" She shouted. Oztaz smiled.

"Luckily, I do not need your willing participation _Your Highness_," he said.

"What are you talking about?" Rose demanded.

"You are descendant of the royal family of twili. Or were you unaware of that?" Oztaz asked with a smirk. Rose's face paled. Oztaz took advantage of her silence to begin the ritual. He held his arms skyward.

"As the full moon reaches its highest peak, I bargain with the goddess of time! Ganandorf of the gerudo was taken before his time. Four souls, freely given, are sent in return for his!" Oztaz chanted. Wenglock, Yetsa, Gor Tarrin, and Rusl all began to glow white.

"As a passage from the land of shadows to the world of light, I bring a royal vessel to guide the way!" Oztaz continued. Rose began to glow white as well. She remained in possession of herself though, kicking and shouting. Thunderhoof reared in his cage, but Oztaz continued with the ritual. At this point he smiled and glanced at Throm. With a wave of his hand, Throm was yanked to his feet. Throm still couldn't control himself, even though he was trying desperately to. His sword was right by his feet. If he could only grab it . . .

"And to appease the laws of justice, I will turn back time!" Oztaz exclaimed. He held out his hand, and a glowing white sword appeared in it. The sword looked wrong in his hand. It looked like a tool of light, not darkness. Oztaz walked closer to Throm, and Throm struggled harder than ever. As Oztaz approached, it sounded as if ghostly voices were crying out in fear and sadness. Oztaz raised the sword skyward.

"Ganondorf of the gerudo, accept this offering and return to the world of light!" Oztaz shouted. Lightning flashed overhead as Oztaz stabbed downwards with the sword. Throm felt a flash of pain and heard Rose scream, and then everything faded into darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

Throm felt his hand heat up. It wasn't painful, but it was gentle warmth. That couldn't be possible. Throm knew he was dead. He should be dead. But now that he concentrated, he could feel the grass tickling his cheek. He was lying on the ground. He could feel a slight breeze brush against him, and he could hear Thunderhoof neighing in the distance.

"You monster!" Rose shouted.

"Perhaps. I did what I had to. And behold, my master has returned!" Oztaz said. Throm opened his eyes a fraction of an inch. Everyone had stopped glowing. Everything looked the same as before Throm had been stabbed, but as Throm watched a person took shape.

He wore black armor, and a maroon cape. He had dark skin and red hair, as well as a mark on his forehead. In the center of his stomach was a jagged white wound, which looked like a stab wound. The person could be no other than Ganondorf himself. Ganondorf looked around, taking in the scene.

"Master, I have strived for your return. None are more pleased than I that you have returned to this world," Oztaz said, bowing to Ganondorf. Ganondorf glanced at him and then pointed at Oztaz. Oztaz suddenly stiffened and screamed, and then he began to disintegrate. After a moment, nothing was left. A symbol appeared on Ganondorf's hand. Three triangles stacked in formation. One of the triangles was glowing gold.

"It has been too long," Ganondorf said. He looked at Rose.

"I can sense twili royal blood in you. You must be the daughter of Midna. I will enjoy your demise," he said. He glanced around again.

"All of Hyrule shall feel my wrath. And I will begin with that wretched Link and meddlesome Zelda," he said. Throm stiffened. He had survived being stabbed for a reason. Maybe that reason was so that he could have a second chance at defeating Ganondorf. After a moment's hesitation, Throm climbed to his feet. Rose gasped, and Ganondorf turned his attention to Throm.

"Not on my watch you're not," Throm growled.

"Throm! But . . . but you're . . ." Rose stuttered. Throm pulled out the glowing white sword. As he did, he realized that one of his hands had the same symbol as Ganondorf's, except a different triangle was glowing. The wound in Throm's stomach glowed white for a moment, and then darkened and returned to its normal coloration. Ganondorf regarded Throm with interest.

"You bear the triforce of courage, just as your father. It saved your life as well, just as it saved mine all those years ago. Very interesting," Ganondorf said. Throm held the white sword out, pointing it at Ganondorf.

"I challenge you to a duel to the death," Throm said. He hoped that his voice wasn't shaking. To be honest, he felt more confident than he ever had in his whole entire life. Ganondorf smiled.

"Why not? Take your pitiful sword boy. I will grant you your dying wish," he said. Throm dropped the white sword and picked up his own sword. Ganondorf snapped his fingers, and a black iron sword appeared.

"The triforce would have protected your father from my other sword, a problem I did not foresee. I will not make the same mistake with you," Ganondorf said. Ganondorf and Throm walked a short distance away from everyone and faced each other. Throm took a steadying breath. This would be it. No do-overs.

Ganondorf suddenly charged forward, swinging the sword in a precise and calculated strike. Throm dodged to thee side and countered, but Ganondorf blocked the attack. They clashed again several times before they pulled away from each other.

"Very impressive . . . for a child," Ganondorf said. Throm charged forward, swinging the sword aggressively, and the two clashed several more times. Ganondorf smirked and suddenly kicked Throm solidly in the chest, sending him reeling back. While Throm was unbalanced, Ganondorf stuck. He darted forward and swung the sword mightily. Throm dodged to the side and counterattacked, barely feeling any pain as Ganondorf's sword bit into his arm. Throm's aim was true. Ganondorf stood still for a moment, disbelief written clearly on his face. He staggered back a few steps, peering at the sword protruding from the glowing white area in his stomach. He opened his mouth in a soundless cry of fury, and then exploded into blinding white light. Wenglock, Gor Tarrin, Rusl, and Yetsa all glowed briefly before waking up. Rose fell to the ground from where she had hung suspended in the air.

Throm fell to his knees. It was finally over. Ganandorf and the last of his followers had been defeated.

"Throm!" Rose exclaimed, dropping to her knees and wrapping her arms around him. "I was so w-worried! I thought you were d-dead!" she sobbed. Throm smiled weakly and hugged her with his good arm.

"I did too," he admitted.

"Don't you ever do that again!" Rose demanded. Throm laughed slightly, and Rose helped him to his feet. Instantly Wenglock, Gor Tarrin, Yetsa, Rusl, Thunderhoof, and Pala were all at his side. They were all congratulating him and patting him on the back. Throm smiled wider. For the first time in his life, he truly felt like this was where he belonged. He closed his eyes and let the darkness envelope him.

When Throm opened his eyes, he was in a clean room. Somehow he was lying on a bed. His arm had been bandaged and it didn't hurt as much anymore. As soon as Throm sat up, he realized that he wasn't alone in the room. Queen Zelda was sitting on a chair nearby. She smiled at Throm.

"Good morning," she said.

"How long have I been out?" Throm asked groggily.

"You've been unconscious for a week. Rose and Tanti have hardly left your side. Link turned up at the castle shortly after you did, and he has officially been declared King. He's off managing the kingdom at the moment. Wenglock, Yetsa, Gor Tarrin, and Rusl have all been sent home. You've been declared a hero," Zelda explained. At that moment the door opened and Tanti and Rose entered the room. As soon as they saw Throm, their eyes lit up.

"You said that you'd tell me as soon as he woke up!" Tanti exclaimed. She ran forward and jumped onto the bed next to Throm, wrapping him in a hug.

"You won't _believe_ what's happened since you came back! Dad is back! And there was a big party here at the castle! And mom actually let me go outside! I took a tour of all of castle town! It was so amazing!" Tanti explained in a rush. Throm smiled at his little sister's outburst. After a moment she finally released him and climbed off the bed, allowing Rose to step forward.

"I'm glad that you're ok," she said.

"Yeah, I'm glad that you're ok too," Throm replied. They stood in awkward silence for a moment.

"I guess we're both royalty now," Rose said.

"You were always a princess to me," Throm said seriously. Rose smiled and hugged him.

"I'm glad that you're alive," she repeated through her tears. Throm hugged her as well. With Ganondorf and his followers defeated for good, the future was looking bright. And Throm felt like he could do anything in the world.


End file.
